If you had the chance to put your Dc in private school, would you?

[Thisyeargflewby]

We may have the opportunity.

We are an average family, not hugely wealthy like some of the families (not all though)

Would you, it you could? If so, why?

If you have put your child in private school, what are your reasons for doing so?

Yes. Always said I wouldn’t growing up as a slightly unappreciative socialist teen who was first in family to go to private school, first to uni etc. now I have my own and despite very successful career can’t afford fees, especially for two, but I would if I could. We bought in catchment of a ‘good’ high school and only decent locally but I do still look at the websites of the privates. For mine if I could I’d go for the slightly less academic sporty and pastoral one rather than the type a school (which worked for me)- it would be as much about nuturing, smaller classes, smaller school to know the teachers, sense of belonging and wider sport and educational opportunities I’d use it for as much as grades

Not for secondary. The grammar here, which my dc go to, is better all round than the private school, which I work at. The private is viewed as the rich people’s second choice option if their dc don’t get in to the grammar.

No, because I don't want to add to a system where children of wealthy people are instantly afforded a better start in life. I'd rather there was an effort made to improve state schools.

Yes with caveats

I wouldn't send them if it meant boarding.or an excessive commute.

I wouldn't send them if it wasn't guaranteed through their secondary school life.

I don't think I'd send them if it was a choirboy thing (they get booted the second their voice breaks apparently).

And not if it meant one child going and another attending a crappy local comp through finances. Maybe different if they win a scholarship.

No, not a chance. I went to a prestigious private school. I don't rate the experience highly at all.

Because some kids thrive in their local state school and couldn’t achieve more however much it cost.

I love the fact that our school covers such mixed demographic, dc has friends from a range of backgrounds and I can’t see how that’s a bad thing.

Our nearest private schools are too small to offer a wide range of courses, field competitive sports teams, have a full choir etc. They’re not the be all and end all as far as I can see.

No but we do have a good local state school so maybe my answer would be different if not.
I did seriously think about it but the con list outweighed the pros for me.

Yes but I do send mine to prep school. Our local state schools are poor though…

Why not?

We may have the opportunity.

It depends on what the 'opportunity' is?

If you have a steady and reliably high income which is unlikely to change for the time your child is there, and can take the full fees plus any % yearly increases plus extras comfortably, then I would consider it if the school was good. The private schools around here are not great from an exam results point of view (excellent grammars around here which affect things) so it would obviously depends on the individual child's needs.

If it's based on grandparents paying, a bursary, a scholarship etc etc, there would be far more detail to be worked out.

Absolutely. I have taught in independent schools and they offer pupils so much apart from the academics. I wouldn’t send my kids to any old school just because it was fee paying but the state schools are horrific near us and I want my kids to have the best opportunities to reach their potential.

100 percent I would and will.

I don't think the economic realities or society in general is going to get any easier in the next 20 years so no matter how principled I am about equality and equal opportunity for all, I've come to terms with belt a hypocrite if it means my kids has a better chance of being a have rather than a have not.

We could afford to buy have chosen not to. For us it would be the difference of being able to save for our DCs futures and give them the experiences that we want to, and we also have very good state schools here. Also private school isn’t always the leg up it once was. We can change our minds later on if needed.

I did, and I didn’t.

yes hands down- for secondary!

smaller classes, better results (from some!!!)

i would have to choose carefully but yes i would like to, and plan too.

Depends on the private school.

In an ideal world I wouldn't send my child private for secondary school, as we are in a grammar area so the bright children go there, and get better grades than children get at the private schools.

For primary, it depends on the school. Our local private prep is very stressy and not terribly emotionally supportive, and the academic results are nothing impressive.

Our local state primary gets great SATs results has as many of not more extracurriculars, and still gets more kids into grammar than the primary school, so in my case, we could afford private, but state wins.

No. We can afford it but do not choose to at primary level.

Dc are v bright and do very well at school. We provide other enriching activities as parents (sport, music lessons etc) so don't need school to provide it and I prefer the DC to mix with a more diverse set of kids.

We could certainly afford the fees, but it never even crossed our minds as completely unethical.

It depends. What age are they? How are there state schools? Are they happy? There's a lot to be said for stability. Depending on age, how does dc feel about it? All of that would impact my decisions (as someone who went to private school and dc is at state but very good school, very happy, stable, friends, I feel they have the opportunities I had so far).

Blarno it's a bit like that where we live.

The privates tend to pick up a lot of "rich but dim" types who's parents suddenly realise around y3/4 (having started in state) that they won't make grammar.

The preps then tend to focus not on getting DC into grammar but on the independent secondaries, which where we live are not academic because bright DC go to grammar. Lots of those preps also steer towards boarding at secondary which is not something I'd consider for mine.

From what I've heard, many private schools aren't really equipped to deal with pupils who don't fit in, or are difficult. Happy to be put right.

he or they? Which is it??9

No and I went to private school.

Why does it matter?

I’ve answered op. Despite looking at what our closest private schools have to offer it’s state school all the way for both of my dc!

The comments are not far off 50/50. The poll didn’t make sense so invalid. Anyway, spunking what half a million pounds on schooling which 50% of parents wouldn’t choose anyway, seems a bit wasteful. Could give them a mortgage free house at 18 instead!